Mandolins have 8 strings in pairs of two, and are tuned in 5ths, like a violin - G D A E. The strings come with a loop at the end, rather than a ball end. As with guitars, it is possible to upgrade the sound of your mandolin with the choice of strings you use. You could choose your mandolin to have a brighter tone, or a rich mellow sound, simply by choosing different types of strings. Here on offer are Elixir, Ernie Ball, D'Addario and Alice.